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SPEECH OF GEORGE SENNOTT, 

On the trial of Gordons, in Boston, for Treason. 

THE BEAUTIES OF PUBITANIO ABOLITIONISM. 
Withering DenimGiations of Power-Proud Aristocrats. 



The trial of tlie Gordons, in Boston, on a 
charge of treason, has produced a remarkably 
bold and earnest speech t'rora George Sennott, 
a lawyer of that city, Avho will be especially 
remembered as the volunteer counsel of John 
Brown. 

The Gordon family consisted of the father 
and four sons, silversmiths by trade, who were 
induced to attend a private meeting, over 
wliich one Deacon Palmer presided. The 
meeting was held in the cellar of this Palmer, 
and the charge of treason made against the 
Gordons by Mr. Washburn, Mr. Ilobart, IMr. 
Hayes, a member of Kalloch's church, and 
some other rampant "loyalists." Mr. Hobart, 
in this cellar inquisition, asked one of the 
Gordons if he would hang out the flag, to 
whicii he replied angrily that he would not, 
under coercion, do anj^ sucli thing, whereupon 
the in(juisitors lodged an information for the 
District Attorney, fortified by their oaths, that 
the Gordons were traitors. They were re- 
manded to Fort \^'an-en, and finally granted 
a trial (a sublime condescension.) but before 
the suit was fairly commenced, a nolle prose- 
qui was entered by the U. S. District Attor- 
ney, and the case dismissed. This, Mr. Sen- 
nott, the Gordons' coimsel, woulil not ])ermit, 
th(! Court granting him leave to make his de- 
fense, wliich we i)resent here below. How 
mucli the whole a.feir looks and sounds like 
similar affairs under old tyrannies and dynas- 
ties, we leave our readers to judge. We 
Iiope no single jierson will pass it by uni-ead. 

After stating the case as above, Mr. Sennott 
said : 

Tlie assistant District Attorney was then 
informed that the Gordons had given aid and 
comfort to the euem}-. This iuformrotion he 
says upon his oath that he believes. In con- 
sequence they were arrested. Their whole 
life and conversation for a year has been 
sifted and pried into. Their friends and 
neighbors have been sunmioncd to testify 
about them, and on the testimony so obtained 
we are to hold tliem if it offers j>rohuhle cause. 
No'.v. does ii. ? 



PEP:rS AT MBEKTY TIUIOUGH PXN HOLKS. 

And here, how simple and how easy is the 
task of the me?-e lawyer — of the 7nere com- 
missioner! But if I regarded such a case as 
this is, or if you did, with the eyes of a mere 
lawyer, I should despise myself, and, sir. 1 
would be astonished at you. W^hat would be 
the use, sir, of a liberal education outside of 
our profession, as Avell as a severe training in 
it — what the benefit of active exertion in the 
political affairs of our country, beginning for 
each of us long before he could vote— what 
the value of the continued exercise of every 
manly and more than kingly prerogative 
which dignifies our existence as citizens of 
this imperial republic — if we should merely 
peep through the pin holes of evidence at a 
case which Involves in its principles the Lin- 
ERTY of us all! I shall take leave, sir, not 
to do so. And while I shall take care not to 
present an uu-lawyerlike view, or to say any- 
thing at all inconsistent with a legal analysis 
of the charge; while I shall even use the tes- 
timony faithfully, as the stimulus of reflection 
and the occasion of argument, I shall leave 
the law part where It should be left, in this 
stage of the case — to.wit, in a subordinate 
relation — and speak of it briefly, and in the 
conclusion of tlie matter. 



FINDING FAULT WITH THE GO VElfJSMKNT. 

Viewing the testimony, then, does It show 
any offence committed except by the consjii- 
rators — the spies — the informers — tlie cellar 
inquisition, who have borne false M'itness 
against their neighbors to destroy him? Sup- 
pose them to have acted against tiielr nature, 
and to have told the truth under oath. Then 
tiie (iordons, in various ways, have found 
fault with the Government. That is ,the es- 
sence, the spirit, and even the scope of the 
testimony. Is that treason? Is it treason 
here? This was the home of free sjDcech — 
and all the colors of republicanism, from black 
to billlous, declared that speech should be 



- O 



character, is simply to say that eaves dropping 
and tale bearing are not low and mean occu- 
pations. Under its influence nothing is known 
of a man's real character or disppsition. 
Habitual -watchfulness on one side, awakens 
habitual hypocrisy on the other. And it is 
only when the little saint of Boston expands 
into the gigantic villain of New Orleans, or 
or San Francisco, that you can tell how vast 
a benefit you derived from his emigration- 
The wickedness looked little here, because 
we saw but little of it. The enormous pres- 
.^ure of universal listening and peeping had 
driven it deep in the innermost fibres of our 
society. So pressed. It produces smelling 
committees — it elects Hiss Legislatures. It 
brings such men as Deacon Palmer to associate, 
.>ut of fear, with men like Mr. Washburn, 
whom they re(;eive into their cellars and dis- 
miss through back doors. Nobody will deny 
the fact, or its application here, who Is not 
[)repared to deny the existence of the Rev. 
Mr. Kalloch. or his church member, Mr. 
Hayes, who peeped after him, and black 
mailed him, and then exposed him. It Is Mr. 
Hayes' turn to-day. It may be Mr. Kalloch's 
turn to do tliat dirty work for Mr. Hayes to- 
morrow. It is Mr. Washburn's turn now. It 
may be the Gordons' turn by and by. But 
be the turn whose It may, the system of a 
barbarous age and people, applied to the con- 
trol of civilized mankind, awakens the fiercest 
resentment. Men have put up with the sava- 
gcst task-masters. They have endured the 
bloodiest tyrants without resistance for many 
years. They have submitted to the King of 
Prussia — to the Czars — to the House of Am- 
trla — and even to the Turks. But a Govern- 
ment of meddling philanthropists they cannot 
hear. It resembles the Government of ver- 
min more than any human despotism. Indi- 
vidually vile and odious, but quite insignifi- 
cant, when collected, they are all-pervading, 
e.ll-d.evouring, appalling, loathsome to every 
sense, and Intolerable to the strongest body, 
and firmest mind ! Thus the Government of 
the RobespieiTcs, the Marats, the Washburns, 
the Hobarts and the Hayes, is the op]3ressiou 
vyhich maketh the wise man mad ! It made 
the Gordons mad when It was first applied to 
them, and what they uttered under its iutlu- 
once was temper — not treason. 



WHICH WOULD A M.V.X PKinM.K .'' 

Yet there was a sense as well as temper — if 
they preferred Jeff. Davis to an abolition 
Government. As I understand an abolition 
Government, a man might endure it. A man 
might endure the Government of Mr. Phillips, 
for he is a gentlemen — or of INIr. Garrison, 



for. whatever may have been thought of his 
sanity, his integrity was never questioned; but 
the abolition Government which they under- 
stood was thi> inquisitorial — the cellar — the 
sink and cess-pool committee which stood be- 
fore them, ordering them to put out a flag — 
and I think there is no man of spirit with that 
in his mind who would not prefer the wolf- 
ishness of a Davis to the pediculousness of a 
Washburn ! 

The Gordons liave done no wrong. They 
do not hate their native country, though they 
cannot like Its imbecile Government. A 
Government which has everything given to It 
by a generous people, and which does nothing 
but waste time, make proclamations and feed 
contractors, cannot be liked or trusted until 
it alters its course. It must continue suspected 
and unpopular, If it Is, with every advantage 
and opportunity, unable to secure peace or 
make war! These sentiments I understand 
them to express. They have a right, moral 
as well as legal, to express such sentiments. 
They ought to express them ; and wo to the 
fanatic who shall meddle with them, or with 
any one else In this way hereafter. 

[The commissioner then delivered his opin- 
ion. He said there was no case proven, and 
dismissed the complaint. The crowd in the 
court-room burst into applause which nobody 
checked, and many persons went up and shook 
hands with the Gordons.] 



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